When you visit the new NYLO Dallas South Side hotel on South Lamar Street you approach a relatively unassuming red brick building nestled in the heart of South Dallas. Walking through the lobby doors you are greeted by an elegant chandelier that casts a warm tungsten hue on the eclectic mix of surrounding tapestries, elegant armchairs and one colorfully graffiti-ed baby grand piano.

Six floors above, on the hotel’s rooftop, the infinity edge pool takes center stage with a brilliant backdrop of the illuminated Dallas skyline. The building has come a long way since it was first constructed as the original Dallas Coffin Company in 1910.

“It’s exciting, we’re in a new area…a very happening area. It means a lot. It means growth,” said Marisol Lopez, director of sales at the NYLO. There is much anticipation for the hotel to help change the face of the area south of I-30.

“It [has] brought a lot of life back into the area,” said Lopez. She expects that the hotel will, among other things, boost the South Dallas economy.

The NYLO Dallas South Side hotel, built by developers Matthews Southwest and owned and operated by NYLO Hotels LLC, is the first of its kind in the southern part of Dallas since the Belmont in 1946. The five-story hotel has 76 rooms, a restaurant, two bars and a pool. It is the third NYLO hotel in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and the first of its two counterparts to pursue environment-friendly LEED certification. This unlikely fusion of boutique luxury housed in an urban environment turns out to be the perfect fit for the metropolitan ambiance in this South Dallas neighborhood.

The NYLO Dallas South Side is bordered by arts and entertainment venues, restaurants and bars alike. The hotel is adjacent to the Bishop Arts district, it lies a short distance from the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center and is just two blocks away from Gilley’s Dallas and the Palladium ballroom.

“We see a lot of architects who are around. Art students come too, and I think that is going to increase even more because it is such a diverse property,” said NYLO Dallas South Side General Manager Kirk Richard.

Richard believes that the hotel will continue to foster the nearby artist community because of its creative and eclectic nature. As a part of its interior décor, the South Side hosts art from over 50 Dallas-Fort Worth artists. The artworks in the lobby are showcased amongst cozy chairs and couches, end tables, fully stocked bookshelves and one pool table decorated to match the baby grand.

“It’s not your cookie-cutter hotel,” said Richard. “The hotel itself, NYLO, is a unique brand because of what we do and how we do things.”

With the South Side’s proximity to the downtown business district, Richard also hopes that the hotel can cater to a more commercial crowd.

“We are going to bring more of the business clientele down to this area,” he said. “We do have meeting space; they will be using the upstairs area, we will be renting it out,” said Richard.

There is also much anticipation for the hotel to help change the face of the area south of I-30. Gary Rima, a resident of McKinney, believes that the NYLO will bring great improvements to the South Dallas neighborhood.

“This area seems to be one that is kind of going through a renaissance,” said Rima. “You’ve got the police station and the South Side on Lamar. It ought to be a very safe place to be.”

As far as what draws the biggest crowd to the NYLO South Side, by standing on the rooftop deck as evening falls it is not difficult to imagine that the view from the deck might play an important role.

“It’s like you’re looking at a panoramic picture of downtown,” said Dallas resident Presley Sheffield. “It’s the difference between being downtown and looking downtown and looking at downtown from afar.”

The NYLO’s location south of I-30 certainly offers a new viewpoint of the cityscape compared to those offered by other downtown hotels. It also offers urban Dallasites an entertainment spot without the hassle of having to drive too far.

“In today’s economy you don’t want to have to go far to enjoy yourself,” said Dallas native Denise Brown, who works downtown and lives nearby.

Beginning with the NYLO, big changes could be headed south. Richard has already begun to see the changes the new NYLO has brought to the neighborhood.

“You see people running down the street now…you see people on bikes,” said Richard of the community’s growth.

“ I wouldn’t say it’s the new Uptown…,” he said of the budding South Dallas community.